Creating Hope and Community: The
Critical Role of the Social Worker in a
Multi-Tiered System of Support
Keynote Presentation
for the
3rd Annual Conference of the American Council for School Social
Work
New Orleans, Louisiana
February 10 , 2014.
JoAnne M. Malloy, Clinical Assistant Professor
Institute on Disability
University of New Hampshire
Agenda
• Introductions• Children and Youth at Risk: Urgency of the
Problem and Why PBIS/MTSS is the Answer
• The role of the school social worker in a
PBIS/Multi-Tiered System of Support:
• BREAK
• Evidence-Based Practices, Behavior Support, and
Cultural Competence
• PANEL Discussion
Learning Objectives
• Articulate the many roles of the school social
working within a multi-tiered system of
supports.
• Identify the advantages of using a multi-tiered
system in prevention, early intervention, and
evidence-based practices
• Articulate specific challenges to working in a
multi-tiered system
Our Norms
Ensure a way for everyone to participate
Bring an open mind
Listen to understand
Silence your cell phones and use them
during breaks
Acknowledgements
• George Sugai & Rob Horner, OSEP Center on
PBIS
• Lucille Eber, Director of the Illinois PBIS
Network
• Hank Bohanon, Loyola University of Chicago
• Joanne Cashman, IDEA Partnership
History- Introductions
Tariq
• Table Discussion # 1
Who are you concerned about?
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
• Identify 1
student whose
need are not
being met in
your school
• How does your
school
respond to this
student now?
• What should
your school’s
response be?
• What would
be ideal??
Step 4
Step 5
• What is needed to
reach the ideal?
• What are the steps
between what is needed
and what exists?
• 1 in 5 children will experience a mental
health problem of mild impairment; 1/10 will
experience a mental health problem of severe
impairment.
• Of those children and youth who need
mental health services, over 75% receive
those services in schools
(Duchnowski, Kutash, & Friedman, 2002; Power, Eiraldi, Clarke,
Mazzuca & Krain, 2005; Rones & Hoagwood, 2000; Wade, Mansour,
& Guo, 2008)
Percent of Youth Remaining in Services
Treatment as Usual Show Rates in
Traditional Outpatient Settings
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
72%
49%
26%
9%
1
4
8
Number of Sessions
(McKay et al., 2005)
12
Disproportionality
• African American students (especially males)
are 3.5 times more likely to be suspended or
expelled than their white peers
• Students with disabilities are 2X more likely to
receive one or more out-of-school suspensions
than students without disabilities
• The dropout rate is 50% or more among African
Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic youth,
and students with emotional handicaps
(Krezmien, Leone, & Achilles, 2006; Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002;
U.S. Department of Education, 2003, 2012)
Why Invest In a Framework?
• Increasingly diverse student population
–
–
–
–
Language, SES,
Academic ability (range)
Social behaviors
Stressors at home / community
• To meet the range of needs, teachers need to:
– Employ a range of instructional strategies
– Teach classroom routines to support higher level
thinking skills
– Encourage student behaviors
– Pointed toward self-management
We Should be Adopting A Systemic
Approach That is….
Effective
• Desired Outcomes?
Efficient
• Doable?
Relevant
• Contextual & Cultural?
Durable
• Lasting?
Scalable
• Transportable?
School Can Add to Risk Factors
Osher, Dwyer, and Jackson (2004)
Ris
k
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alienation
Academic Frustration
Chaotic Transitions
Negative Relationships with
Adults and Peers
Teasing, Bullying, Gangs
Segregation with Antisocial
Peers
School-driven Mobility
Harsh Discipline; Suspension,
Expulsion, Push Out/Drop Out
Impact of Trauma on Development
Impairment of:
• Attachment
• Biological Impacts
• Affect Regulation
• Dissociation
• Behavioral Regulation
• Cognition
• Self-Concept
• Family Context
Developmental Trauma Disorder
(van der Kolk, 2005)
“many problems of traumatized children can be
understood as efforts to minimize objective threat
and to regulate their emotional distress” (p.403)
• These are survival responses to disordered or
dangerous environments
“{the child’s} maladaptive behaviors tend to inspire
revulsion and rejection…and is likely to lead to
labeling and stigmatizing children for behaviors that
are meant to ensure survival.” (p. 404)
How about the adults?
Reactive responses….
When we experience aversive situation, we
want select interventions that produce
immediate relief
–
–
–
–
Remove student
Remove ourselves
Modify physical environment
Assign responsibility for change to student &/or
others
Think of Tariq….
School Can Build Protective Factors
Pro
tec
tion
Osher, Dwyer, and Jackson (2004)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Connection
Academic Success
Supported Transitions
Positive Relationships with Adults
and Peers
Caring Interactions
Interaction with Pro-social peers
Stability
Positive approaches to disciplinary
infractions
VIOLENCE PREVENTION
• Positive, predictable school-wide
climate
• High rates of academic & social
success
• Formal social skills instruction
• Positive active supervision &
reinforcement
• Positive adult role models
• Multi-component, multi-year schoolfamily-community effort
• Surgeon General’s
Report on Youth
Violence (2001)
• Coordinated Social
Emotional &
Learning (Greenberg
et al., 2003)
• Center for Study &
Prevention of
Violence (2006)
• White House
Conference on
School Violence
(2006)
The Origins of PBS*
PBS originates from:
1) The science of applied behavior analysis (ABA)
and the theory that all behavior has a purpose
and/or communicates something.
2) The Public Health Multi-tiered Model of
Prevention
3) The movement for normalization and inclusion of
individuals with disabilities, and,
4) Person-centered values
*(Carr, 2002)
SW-PBS Logic!
Successful individual student
behavior support is linked to host
environments or school climates
that are effective, efficient, relevant,
& durable for all students
(Zins & Ponti, 1990)
Effective Social & Academic
School Culture
Common
Language
SWPBS
Common
Experience
Common
Vision/Values
Features of PBIS
• Multi-tiered Framework
• Teach and reinforce socially values
social skills
• Work in representative teams
• DATA! DATA! DATA!- To assess the needs
of students, to assess implementation,
and to assess outcomes
• Evidence-based practices (values-based)
What does it mean to be systematic
about behavior support
for students in classrooms? In
schools?
VOC Rehab
Job’s for America’s
Graduates (JAGS)
JROTC
Manchester School of
Technology (MST)
Outreach coordinator
VLACS
Academic Level
system
Go Manchester
MCC
Citiyear
Upward Bound
Developed 2010-2011: in collaboration with
the RENEW Oversight Team, the Behavior
Support Team, the Administration Team and
with the help of West faculty and staff.
One School’s Journey:
Rundlett Middle School:
The mission of the Rundlett
Middle School PRIDE Team
is to guide, support, and
sustain the development of
structures and systems that
foster a positive school
climate and promote student
learning.
Table Discussion:
The Skills of the Social Worker
The Changing Role of the School Social
Worker
1)School social workers as School FirstResponders
2) School Social Workers as Referral Experts
and Resource Coordinators
3) School social workers as Three-Tier
Intervention Experts
4) School social workers as Organizational
Consultants
5) School social workers as EvidenceInformed Practitioners
(Kelly, 2012)
National Study of SSW
(Kelly, et al., 2010)
SSW population demographics remain largely unchanged
since earlier studies (Allen-Meares, 1994; Costin, 1969)
• " Students face complex issues, but few are served by
outside mental health services: SSW are often the only
provider
• " Paradigm shift for attention to prevention has not yet
been echoed in practice: high caseloads, student
complexities, and administrative paperwork demands
largely explain the ideal/actual discrepancy noted by
respondents”
• " Majority of time in individual and group counseling”
• Emphasis on family engagement as a Tier 1 or Tier 2
intervention, but further study is needed to understand
how family engagement is operationalized across
school social work practice contexts
• SSW play a limited role in school leadership through
participation in school committees, developing
prevention activities, or improving school culture
• Limited reliance on use of research, journals, and
books to improve practice
• Workshops and peers rate much higher, but unclear
how evidence-based those resources are being used
10
minute
B
R
E
A
K
“Instead of enforcing its demands for compliance,
a teacher may help students understand what is
being done to them. She can talk about mutual
respect instead of obedience. She can help
them to understand the positive rewards for
acceptable forms of behavior. In particular, in a
liberal democratic society, a caring teacher will
help students to acquire the skills and
understanding necessary for full participation.”
(Noddings, 2002. Starting at Home: Caring and Social Policy, p. 202)
Marcel
• Discussion # 3
Why Do We Need To Be Culturally
Competent and Responsive?
Louisiana Disproportionality Example:
Students Without Disabilities, Discipline by Race and
Ethnicity*
80
70
60
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic
50
40
Black
30
White
20
10
0
Corporal Punishment More Than One Out of
School Suspensions
Referrals to law
Enforcement
School- Related
Arrests
Percent of Student
Population
*Source: Office of Civil Rights, US Department of Education; 2009-10 Estimates
SCHOOL-WIDE
CLASSROOM
1.1. Leadership team
1.All school-wide
2.Behavior purpose statement
3.Set of positive expectations & behaviors
4.Procedures for teaching SW & classroom-wide
expected behavior
5.Continuum of procedures for encouraging
expected behavior
EVIDENCEBASED
INTERVENTION
PRACTICES
6.Continuum of procedures for discouraging rule
violations
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT
2.Function-based behavior support planning
3.Team- & data-based decision making
4.Comprehensive person-centered planning &
wraparound processes
5.Targeted social skills & self-management
instruction
6. Individualized instructional & curricular
accommodations
3.Positively stated expectations posted, taught,
reviewed, prompted, & supervised.
4.Maximum engagement through high rates of
opportunities to respond, delivery of evidencebased instructional curriculum & practices
5.Continuum of strategies to acknowledge displays
of appropriate behavior.
6.Continuum of strategies for responding to
inappropriate behavior.
7.Procedures for on-going data-based monitoring &
evaluation
1.Behavioral competence at school & district levels
2.Maximum structure & predictability in routines &
environment
NONCLASSROOM
1.Positive expectations & routines
taught & encouraged
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
1.Continuum of positive behavior support for all
families
2.Frequent, regular positive contacts,
2.Active supervision by all staff (Scan, communications, & acknowledgements
move, interact)
3.Formal & active participation & involvement as
3.Precorrections & reminders
equal partner
4.Positive reinforcement
4.Access to system of integrated school &
community resources
PBIS Features- Tier 2
► Systems:
– Targeted Team
– Early Identification, Decision Rules.
– Communication with teacher, parents and students.
► Practices:
–
–
–
–
Check In/Check Out
Social Contracting
Other Targeted Group Interventions
Simple Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Support Plans
► Data:
– Weekly (Bi-weekly) ODRs, Attendance, Progress Reports.
– Functional Behavioral Assessment, Competing Behavior Pathway
Applied Behavior Analysis
• The notion that behavior is influenced by a 3part sequence:
1. there is a stimulus
2. there is then a response
3. There is a reinforcing consequence
• Many of the methods we now use for
teaching is based upon ABA, and there is
much research to support this framework
Functions (Purposes) of Behavior
Behavior meets a need the individual has:
• Attention- the individual is using the behavior to gain
attention from peers or adults.
• Escape- the individual is engaging in the behavior to
avoid a task, such as doing chores or homework.
• Tangible – the individual is engaging in the behavior in
order to gain something (for example, trying to get you
to buy him or her something).
• Sensory- the individual is engaging in the behavior to
respond to some stimulus or sensory need (some
children, for example, have the need to block out noise
or avoid contact with people)
The ABCs of Behavior
• Antecedents – what happens right before a
behavior occurs
• Behavior: What does the behavior look
like?
• Consequences – what happens right after
a behavior occurs
• Reinforcers – consequences which increase
a behavior
PBIS Features -Tier 3
►Data
• Individualized Progress Monitoring
►Systems
• Systematic screening for intensive level support needs
• Teacher training and support through Targeted Team
• Staff time and resources to provide individualized supports to
youth
►Practices
•
•
•
•
Individualized person-centered planning and supports
Individualized education planning and supports
Intensive FBA and Behavior Support Plans
Referral to Community Resources
Are you a behaviorist?
Social Learning Theory….
Cognition,
behavior
development
One’s
behavior
Context
People &
environment
& cognition
“Tariq” (again)
• How can he be College and Career Ready?
Youth with EBD Need…
• An intervention that assists with high school
completion and real world employment
• To learn self-determination skills for transition
to adulthood
• Assistance to build a positive social support
network
• Assistance to develop a personalized career
and post-high school plan
RENEW:
Conceptual Framework
System of Care and
Wraparound
YOUTH, FAMILY
RENEW
SelfDetermination
Schoolto-Career
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System’s Model
BUILDING HOPE: RENEW PRINCIPLES
•
•
•
•
•
Self-Determination
Unconditional Care
Strengths-Based Supports
Flexible Resources
Natural Supports
54
My Strengths
4/8/2015
55
NH PBIS Project: High School
Dropout Rates: 2004-2012
(n=11)
10
Woodsville
Berlin HS
9
Kennett
Somersworth HS
8
7
Spaulding HS (Rochester)
Raymond HS
Manchester Central
6
Manchester Memorial
Nashua North HS
5
Nashua HS South
APEXSchools Averages
4
Statewide average
3
2
1
0
2003-2004 Actual 2004- Actual 2005- Actual 2006- Actual 2007- Actual 2008- Actual 2009- Actual 2010- Actual 2011Baseline Year
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
NH PBIS High School Project:
Fidelity (n=15)
7
6
Schools with PBIS
Fidelity (n=7)
5
4
Schools w/o PBIS
Fidelity (n=8)
3
State Average
2
1
0
Baseline
3 Years later
Dropout Rates: Louisiana
8.00
7.00
6.00
Annual
Event
Dropout
Rate
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
HOPE!
Latoya Fletcher
RENEW Facilitator's Training © Institute on
Disability, University of New Hampshire
59
Relationship-Building: Part of the Social
Worker’s Vocation
“Today many young people not only fail to
develop the capacity to care, but also seem
not to know what it means to be cared
for….Kids seem to be able to survive material
poverty, and many can ignore much of the
violence in the media…if they have continuing
relationships with adults who obviously care
for them”
(Noddings, 2002, p. 25 & 26)
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Thank you!
JoAnne M. Malloy, Ph.D.
Project Director
(603) 228-2084 x 27
JoAnne.Malloy@unh.edu
UNH Institute on Disability
http://iod.unh.edu
RENEW Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/RENE
Wyouthnh
whocaresaboutkelsey.com
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